When David Attenborough outlined the startling impact of human pollution on our oceans in his 2017 documentary Blue Planet II, plastic waste went to the top of the political agenda.

Now, more and more of us are looking for ways to make everyday changes that will help to reduce our effect on the environment.

Alex Sharp, 33, and Jessica Wise, 25, noticed this change in their friends and family and, both holding masters degrees in conservation biology, decided there was an opportunity to put their knowledge to good use.

The couple wanted to create a community for like-minded people hoping to live and travel in a more sustainable way, and were also keen to link students with conservation projects around the world.

It was then that their business ConservationWise was born.

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“Our friends were always asking us how they could live a little more sustainably, especially after some of the incredible wildlife documentaries that have been on the BBC recently,” explained Alex, who works full-time as an environmental consultant.

“So, we decided that we would put that advice into a website, offering accessible information.”

But while Alex and Jess have a wealth of experience in conservation, they soon realised they would need new digital skills if they wanted to reach more people and grow their fledgling business.

Living in Edinburgh, the entrepreneurs noticed adverts for Google’s newly opened Digital Garage hub on Shandwick Place, a multi-million pound initiative set up to provide free digital skills lessons to individuals, small businesses and charities.

Alex said: “We were walking down George Street having just discussed that we might need to outsource the digital side of our business.

The couple hope to turn ConservationWise into a full-time job (Image: Alex Sharp)

“We had almost come to the end of our limitations, and didn’t know how to properly harness digital marketing and promotion.

“Jess remembered an advert she had seen for Google’s Digital Garage, so we popped in.

“When the trainers went through how they could help us, we realised we would benefit from pretty much every session and signed up to return the next day.”

Alex and Jess attended workshops and one-to-one mentoring sessions on a range of topics, using their lunch breaks to make the most of their spare time.

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And although they were initially interested in the digital marketing courses, the couple have now started looking at more practical workshops, such as spreadsheets for beginners, so they can streamline and free-up more time for practical conservation work and travel.

Now, with their businesses beginning to take root, the pair hope to one day turn their side- hustle into a full-time living.

“The aspiration is to make ConservationWise our full-time jobs,” said Alex.

“We only launched our website in January and we’re in the process of learning and growing.

“And the Digital Garage has been a key part of that. If you’ve got an idea, just go along and have a chat.

Getting savvy about the power of social media

More and more brands are moving away from traditional advertising, focusing instead on reaching potential customers through social media channels.

Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and even Snapchat have become key for helping many businesses to grow and expand, which Alex and Jess learned when they went along for a one-to-one session at the Digital Garage.

Alex explained: “The social media classes we attended were particularly relevant, as we were able to sit down on a one-to-one basis with the trainer.

“They helped us really think about what we wanted to share – how we could make our language more accessible. And they also helped us to understand that we needed to create a budget and invest a little bit to help promote our brand and our posts.

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“We were used to getting maybe 150 likes, but once we put everything into place, we were reaching nearer 1000 with each post.”

After their session, the couple saw an increase in engagement on Instagram, which has now become a key platform for their business.

“We instantly saw a massive up-turn in what we were doing, and we’re already seeing real, tangible results,” said Alex.

This article was brought to you in association with Google Digital Garage.

The Google Digital Garage bus will be touring five days a week until the end of September and will stop at more than 50 locations across Scotland. Anyone interested in the free coaching can register and see the full bus tour itinerary at g.co/ScotlandGarage